99. The Bodily LIfe of Offspring in the State of Innocence

1. There is no reason to suppose that children born in thestate of innocence would have been perfectly strong and able to usetheir members (to walk, for instance) right from the moment oftheir birth. The tender weakness of infancy is not a defect ofnature consequent upon sin; it is a normal and natural condition;for nature tends to develop its perfections, moving from a lessperfect to a more perfect state. Children born in the state ofinnocence would have possessed strength and power suitable to theirage, and advancing with their age.

2. Nor should we suppose, as some have done, that, in thestate of innocence, there would have been no distinction of sex.Distinction of sex was present in our first parents in theirinnocence; it belongs to the rounded completeness of human nature;it is a requirement for the propagation of the race according tothe Creator's plan; it manifests, in its order, the gradedvariety and perfection of the universe.

"The essence of perfection is to embrace the will of God in all things, prosperous or adverse. In prosperity, even sinners find it easy to unite themselves to the divine will; but it takes saints to unite themselves to God's will when things go wrong and are painful to self-love. Our conduct in such instances is the measure of our love of God." St Alphonsus de Liguori

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"We must not be behind time in doing good; for death will not be behind his time. " St Phillip Neri

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"A single act of uniformity with the divine will suffices to make a saint." St Alphonsus de Liguori